Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Diversity and Inclusion at Auburn University

Apple CEO Tim Cook visited his alma mater Auburn University this afternoon, where he held a talk with students at the Telfar B. Peet Theatre. Auburn University student paper The Auburn Plainsman shared details on the talk, which covered topics like diversity and inclusion, subjects Cook is passionate about and often covers in speeches.

Cook told students that it’s important to be prepared to encounter people with diverse backgrounds in every career field. Students, he says, will work at companies where they will need to work with people from other countries and serve customers and users from all over the world.

“The world is intertwined today, much more than it was when I was coming out of school,” Cook said. “Because of that, you really need to have a deep understanding of cultures around the world.”

“I have learned to not just appreciate this but celebrate it,” Cook said. “The thing that makes the world interesting is our differences, not our similarities.”

Cook went on to explain that Apple believes you can only create a great product with a diverse team featuring people with many backgrounds and different kind of specialities. “One of the reasons Apple product work really great… is that the people working on them are not only engineers and computer scientists, but artists and musicians.”

Cook has spoken at Auburn University several times in the past, and looks fondly at the time he spent there. “There is no place in the world I’d rather be than here,” Cook told students. “Brings back a lot of memories. I often think that Auburn is really not a place, it’s a feeling and a spirit. Fortunately, it is with you for all the days of your life. It has been for me at least.”

According to The Auburn Plainsman, an exclusive interview conducted with Tim Cook will also be featured on the site later.

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